


Take Your Time, Hurry Up

by spyder_m



Series: Shumako Week 2019 [5]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-20
Updated: 2019-01-20
Packaged: 2019-10-13 08:30:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17484698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spyder_m/pseuds/spyder_m
Summary: Ren and Makoto make the mistake of planning a date on the same day they had arranged a Phantom Thieves meeting. Written for Day 6 of Shumako Week: Date Night.





	Take Your Time, Hurry Up

**Author's Note:**

> I seem to be hitting the 1.5k mark for these stories pretty consistently. That's not a concise effort on my part. I actually quite like the concept for this and could have added a lot more, but I'm already behind.

The trains at Shibuya Station were running like clockwork.

Following the rampant, freak accidents occurring that had marred their public image, the transport sector was working hard to reach its former glory. 

The Phantom Thieves, on the other hand, were riding high after their take down of the infamous hacktivist group MedJed, who had threatened Japan’s economy. The operation had secured them an almost nation wide following, with those who had doubted their intentions and ability before, becoming believers.

Now, in the hopes of capitalising on their newfound popularity and momentum, the group was eager to decide on their next target. Or, at the very least, take care of some smaller Phansite requests

Yet, with three of their members missing, things were difficult.

Not just any of their members either.

Ren, their leader, was absent. Morgana was with him at all times, which meant he was gone too. Morgana had spent more time in the Metaverse than any of them and had important insight. Makoto, their team strategist and essentially second-in-command to Ren, was nowhere to be found either. A member who had played a major part in giving solid direction to their operations.

It was understandable for Yusuke or Futuba to be running late, especially given the latter had only recently overcome some crippling anxiety and the former... wasn't their most financially responsible member. The same, however, could not be said for any of the group's Shujin members.

Whenever they arranged a meeting, they would head straight over to the station right after school. It was one of the upsides to using the walkway as their hideout. While Makoto, certainly had a lot of responsibilities as the Student Council President, she; as far as they could recall; didn't have a meeting today.

Ren worked many different jobs, helping to supplement the Phantom Thieves' income, but he of all people would have known not to pick up a shift today. Besides, his bosses all seemed to be pretty flexible when it came to hours. Certainly, that shouldn't have been an issue.

Ryuji sighed, closing another thread on his phone, his research hitting a dead end. They had been waiting for almost half an hour, and it was getting harder to focus on target reconnaissance. Yet, he didn't want to waste any time. It was uncertain if they were even going to make it into Mementos at this point, so he wanted to at least get something productive done.

A dull throb worked its way up his leg, and he stretched it out, the inactivity weighing heavily on his limbs. He was anxious to head into the Metaverse and beat the shit out of some shadows. But they had a unanimous ruling after all. It wouldn't be cool to sneak in without everyone else.

Glancing over at his teammates, it was obvious they were also distracted. Futaba fiddled with her laptop, a bustle of text dragging across the screen faster than his eyes could recognise. Yusuke’s fingers were stretched out in front of his face, framing passersby. Ann was sifting through her phone, her eyes glazed by the blank screen.

Scratching the back of his head, Ryuji was the first to speak up.

"We did say today, right? Or am I going crazy?"

"No," Yusuke agreed. "It was definitely today."

"Weird." Ryuji said, turning to Ann. "You texted 'em, yeah?"

"I did." She exhaled, looking up from her own phone. "It's strange, Ren's a gamble, but outside of class Makoto's usually pretty responsive. But I don’t even have a ‘read’ receipt from her."

"Huh. I wonder what's keeping 'em."

"Ah, there you guys are."

"Mona?" Futaba looked up from her screen. "What are you doing here by yourself? Where's Ren?"

"He told me to go on ahead at school, said he needed to take care of something. I would’ve gotten here sooner, but I… I got lost"

"You got lost?"

"How should I know the way? I’m always hidden in his bag!"

A wash of concern carried over the four as they listened to Morgana. It wasn't often that Ren would let his companion wander around on his own. They were worried about raising suspicion. Especially considering how Morgana had been caught on security camera footage before. It was strange.

"But… What could he have to take care of? Doesn’t he know we have business?"

"He in that alley by the gun shop again? He's always starin' off into space there. You can never get his attention. It's 'effin creepy."

Morgana's shoulder blades twitched in a gesture Ryuji supposed could pass for a shrug. The black cat settled against the railing, beginning lying down to groom himself.

Another five minutes passed before Makoto approached them, her footsteps light. While her tentative movement was cause for suspicion, her clothes and hair appeared ruffled also.

"Uh, guys?"

"Makoto? What happened? It's not like you to be late."

"My apologies. I had some... duties to take care of."

"Is that so?" Ryuji said, eyes narrowing. Makoto was quick to move forward with the conversation."

"In any case, shall we run through our requests?"

"Should we really do that without Ren?"

"I- Yes, I suppose you're right. I didn't realise he wasn't here."

"Uh, what? I think our leader being gone is a pretty significant detail to miss."

"Hey, is it just me, or is there something off about her?"

"I- I don't know what you're talking about."

"I'm here! I'm here!" Ren called frantically, raising his hand in apology as he ducked and weaved by different commuters. As the group's eyes flickered towards, Makoto exhaled, the attention drawn away from her.

Ren stopped before them in a hunch, his clasping above his knees. His breathing appeared laboured and heavy.

"Did you seriously just run the whole way here? What were you doing?"

"Just had to… get something." Their leader wheezed. Though, the only he appeared to be carrying was packet of Jagariko in his hand.

"Is that-?!" Yusuke gasped, his stomach groaning.

"Right now? But what about our meeting? Also, what did you bring that shit for?" 

"Ooooo, can those replenish our stamina?"

"Jeez, what's going on? Aren't you two supposed to be the brains behind this whole operation? This doesn’t exactly fill me with confidence."

Ren looked to reply, but instead opted to gulp deeply from a bottle of mineral water in between gasps for breath.

This surprised Ryuji. Their leader was normally pretty stoic and unflappable. The only time Ryuji had seen him looking so rough before was when they were training together.

He wasn't the only one.

"You okay, Makoto? You're lookin’ awfully frazzled."

While not the most perceptive member of the Phantom Thieves, Ryuji knew his friends, and there was something suspicious about the way these two were behaving. He could tell he wasn't alone in thinking that.

Two of their most level-headed teammates, their leaders in fact, were clearly off their game. Ryuji voicing his suspicion, along with the weight of their friends’ gazes, only exasperated Makoto’s dithering.

"Oh, uh... Do I? Well, I suppose it's hot today."

As Makoto stumbled for a coherent answer, Morgana was already piecing things together. The way the two conveniently showed up late, moments apart. How they were both short of breath. How, as Makoto fumbled over her words, she would fleetingly look towards Ren, a pleading expression flashing across her features.

Morgana had a pretty good sense of what was going on.

"Hey, you know what? Why don't we reschedule this for another day?" He suggested, a knowing tone in his voice.

"Huh?" Ryuji exclaimed. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh no," Makoto replied, her hands raised. "That won't be necessary."

"Nonsense! You two obviously aren't at a hundred percent and there's no telling how that could affect our performance."

"What? But that's- urgh!"

"Yeah! I think that's a great idea!" Ann agreed, from beside a now doubled-over now Ryuji. "Don't you think so, Ryuji?"

"But I already spent my last yen on the train fare." Yusuke protested. "I was hoping we would be able to find some more in Mementos."

"Oh, uh... Well, why don't you hitch a ride with us, Yusuke?" Ann said, clapping her friend on the shoulder. "We'll cover for you."

Ann beamed at Ren and Makoto as she passed, winking and flicking her fingers into a 'v' shape.

"We'll see you two later!~"

Before they could respond, Ann had practically dragged their two friends down the stairs of the walkway. By the railing, Futaba had already packed away her laptop and was lifting Morgana into her arms.

"Don't worry, I'll take Mona back with me. You two have fun now!"

.

"So, they clearly saw through us, right?"

"It would seem so."

Ren sighed, hand sifting clumps of matted, sweaty hair from his eye line.

For living double lives as Phantom Thieves, their alibi hadn’t exactly been failsafe.

“Think we can still make the movie in time?”


End file.
